by the Method of Dark-ground Illumination. 
61 1 
§ 4. Some Fungus Spores and their Germination. 
It has been already indicated that some observations have been made 
on the changes which occur in the protoplasm, as revealed by dark-ground 
methods, when fungus spores germinate, and it is hoped to extend these to 
other cases. The results so far obtained seem to have a direct bearing on 
the discussion of the nature of the protoplasm, especially as regards the 
dormant state, and its reawakening to activity, and also the spontaneous 
reversibility of state already mentioned. 
With the exception of spores of Myxomycetes (Gaidukov, TO, p. 57), 
spores have apparently not been studied by this method before. 
Spores generally will not germinate in the absence of oxygen, and so 
it was not found possible to keep a spore under observation during germina- 
tion. The method used was to take a series of cover-glasses, and place 
a few spores in a drop of liquid in the centre of each. These cover-glasses 
were supported over a water surface, and the whole covered with a bell-jar. 
A cover-glass with its germinating spores can then be taken at any time 
and gently lowered on to an object-slide. In this way an almost continuous 
series of observations can be made, although the method is rather more 
laborious than would at first seem necessary. 
The best series of observations has been made on the spores of a species 
of Mncor , and these will first be described (PI. XLI, Fig. 1). 
The spores when freshly mounted appear comparatively clear, with 
almost homogeneous contents, and no sign of movement of protoplasmic 
particles was seen at all. For some hours a swelling of the spore takes 
place, due of course to the taking up of water by the spore contents. 
After this the protoplasm forms a peripheral layer, with the appearance 
usually attributed to a gel, and some fairly large scattered { nodes 5 repre- 
sented by brighter diffraction images. Later, the contents of the spores 
become more opaque, and assume an appearance still more typical of the 
hydrogel state, as occurring in coagulated plant cells. Before germination, 
apparently as a normal succession, the protoplasm passes into a typical 
hydrosol with rapidly oscillating minute particles. This state is, I think, 
to be regarded as that occurring just prior to the actual production of 
a germ tube- — the protoplasm has just entered into the state of vital activity 
(PL XLI, Fig. 1). 
The spore then begins to put out a germ tube, the protoplasm being 
entirely, as far as can be seen, in the active hydrosol condition. The tube 
grows very rapidly at first, and the greater part of the protoplasm passes 
into it. The old spore-wall generally retains a little protoplasm, or possibly 
some of the reversible protoplasmic colloids which have produced a new 
sol with the absorbed watery liquid. It appears as a complex of very fine 
T t 
